Syria confirms US-mediated talks with Israel in Jordan to ease tensions

The talks followed a retraction by U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack of his earlier comments regarding the Golan Heights. Barrack had stated that Israel "still" occupies the territory, a remark that appeared to contradict the U.S. policy established by President Donald Trump in 2019, which recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Barrack later clarified that his comments described the historical status of the territory and were not an endorsement of the United Nations' position, emphasizing that U.S. policy remains unchanged.

Barrack also clarified remarks questioning who would replace Iran's financial support for Shiite communities in southern Lebanon, stressing that the U.S. does not negotiate with Hezbollah and that his comments were meant to describe the difficulty of the problem, not propose a new negotiating table.